Brattle economists and our network of affiliated experts have analyzed economic aspects of the sports and entertainment industries. We conducted the evaluation of Boston’s bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics on behalf of the Office of the Governor and the legislative leaders in Massachusetts. We have also conducted antitrust analyses involving numerous aspects of professional sports, and provide economic support to the Major League Baseball Players Association. In addition, we have provided advice and expert testimony to clients in the television, radio, music, and film industries.

Engagements

REPRESENTATIVE ENGAGEMENTS

Below is a list of representative engagements for our Sports & Entertainment practice.

Analysis of the Boston 2024 proposed Summer Olympic plans

Brattle economists prepared a report for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of the Governor of Massachusetts, President of the Senate, and Speaker of the House evaluating Boston’s bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. The report detailed the components of the bid, tested its assumptions to examine potential risks, evaluated who would have borne the responsibility if any adverse risks had been realized, and estimated the potential economic impacts of the Olympic Games on the Commonwealth.

Major League Baseball Players Association

Provide economic analytic support for the MLBPA, including in negotiating the Collective Bargaining Agreement, pension oversight and industry trends.

Laumann v. NHL and Lerner v. MLB

Two classes of Plaintiffs challenged league rules that establish exclusive market territories for television broadcasting of live games. On behalf of the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball, Brattle expert Daniel McFadden provided testimony at a Daubert and class certification hearing concerning the structural econometric model proffered by the Plaintiffs’ expert for estimation of damages from the vertical restraints imposed by the sports leagues on the broadcast rights to the league games. The Court granted Daubert in part in a decision that frequently refers to the testimony of Professor McFadden.

Antitrust suit against the NFL

In an antitrust case involving a claim that the National Football League and its teams exercised monopoly power over the cities where teams are located, a Brattle economist has experience evaluating issues of market definition and market power. The case involved claims that an NFL team and the league exerted market power by threatening to move unless the host region spent hundreds of millions of dollars to publicly finance a new stadium.

UMG Recordings, et al. v. Global Eagle Entertainment Inc., et al.

The Brattle Group was retained by a large record company and a major music publisher in a copyright infringement case involving claims that a firm that provides in-flight entertainment programming to airlines included unlicensed audio content. We evaluated the extent of the claims of infringed content, and estimated the revenue and profits associated with the infringed content. Following summary judgment rulings, the parties agreed to settle the case for a sum close to our expert’s damages estimate.